Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-04-06
FHRs NEW Law.
The Interstate. Commerce
Commission Again
Beseiged.
Representative Railroad
Men Claim the Law is
Working Evenly
Death of Two Pitiable Victims
of the Opium Habit.
The National DrIIl-Troabls Among
Cotton Handlers-Dsaih Of Rich
Woman-Boston Mssons 0na
strIke-An Old Friend
Of Maxwell.
Interstate Commerce.

AHtef-SAk1e CoE18efCee
| WksHINaTon, April 5. - The Iuter
State Commerce Commission has select
ed as permanent quarters the fifth fiooH
Of the SHs building.
Col. Worthington, general counsel for
the Richmond and Danyiile system
Major Shelmou, Trafic Manager OF
the Oeatral Railroad. and the Banking
Company Of Georgia, and Vice Presi-
dent Smith Of the Louisville 4 Nashville
Railway Company, appeared this morn
ing, each in behalf Of his own corpora
tiOn. TO fle necessary formal petitions
for relief. In each case the purpose Of
the petitioners is 10 secure the suppress
sion Of the operations Of the long and
short haul features OF the law until the
Commission can give hearing on each
specific case.
Oongressmar Butterworth, accom-
panied BY Capt. ]. T. stoekdale Of the
Pittsburg and Cincinnati Steamboat
Co., Capt. Gus Hanchett Of the Big
Sandy and louisville Mail Line, and
Capt. 3. w. Wise Of the Memphis and
Cincinnati Packet Co., appeared before
the Commission AZ representatives Of
river interests. Mr.. ButteTw 0rth, "a
spokesman Of the delegation. addressed
the Commission. he maintained that
railroads we're agencies Of the govern
ment and that the powers conferred
upsn them were conferred upon all oiti-
zens, and hence should net be exercised
for an advantage Of one class against
another. The present tendency vas to
produce great aRgregations Of people in
large cities, because corporations, as
agencies of the government. gave special
privileges TO the favored points, taking
to some localities for the benefit Of
others. Il wss net for the public geed
that this should be %. II one desired
to start factory at an intermediate
point. il could not be done, not
because advantages were lacking, bat
bscause the GoveFnment agencies would
tax in the way Of transportation charges
for the purpose Of driving out competi
tion. Men who carry frsight upon the
great natural highways, the rivers, have
have no power OF this kind. They
could net feretell markets. II one
chose TO charge exhOrbiiaEt rates, an
other would enter upon the line in conf
petition. Railways now asked authority
to fix rates which will drive the boats
from the rivers. Their charges were
not to be fixed in ascordance with any
1yHtC10NA3 H0lu1tt4ChN VI NhACaa OWN Us u
matter of competition, in which one
party or other must gs under. There
were Glasses Of goods and always would
be, which should 90 by rail, irrespective
Of rates on competing lines. He noticed
by reports laid before the Commission
BY some Of the roads that their through |
traffic was oHly 20 per cent Of their total |
traffic. Nov, what proportion would |
they lose IL compelled TO adopt Uniform |
ratesf In his opinion 1t would be in |
considerable. Toeching local trade, |
one man, whose shipments were but |
half ear load, was compelled to pay |
fourth class rates, while large shipper |
Of the same class OF material, shipping |
hundreds Of car loads, was given rates /
Of the fifth class, and reaped advantages |
from this discrimination which had a /
tendency to crush out the small ship |
pers. In bis opinion II wss the purpose |
Of the Law to prevent these discrimina-
tions, which foster great sQRre0ations,
and lead to the production Of Gullivars |
and pignies.
Mr.. Smith, Vice President of the /
Louisville and Nashville Railroad, said /
so far as the Southern Association was /
concerned, there was no discrimination /
in favor Of large cities. Managers Of /
railroads recognized that Il was net for
their interests to csntralize business /
and trade.
Geo. K. Blanchard, Chairman of the /
Central Traffic Association, appeared
and addressed the Commission briefly /
In behalf Of Michigan railroads, setting /
forth the circumstances which led to /
the establishment Of lower through /
rates from Milwaukee acFoss the lake
and then across the State Of Michigan
than could be given for local traffic, by
reason of the all rail competition via
Chicago. These roads asked permission
to maintain their local rates irrespective
Of through rates until such time as the
shall be able to take the
peculiar circumstances and situation
late consideration.
The New Law working EVeRly.
Nwru E-noswsitn ah n aa.fFa